Red Dead Redemption 3: The Return of Arthur Morgan

Two years have long passed since the wondrous launch of the long-awaited second chapter of the Red Dead Redemption franchise. Two years, and yet, people are still edging off of their seats and biting lips over a volley of questions on the third instalment of the Western hit. Only, Rockstar isn't biting, and the fresh scent of payroll is still bulky and crisp, thanks to the endless spool of Red Dead Redemption Online content. That, along with some other petty reasons, means that the R* crew are happily content with simply basking beneath a warm glow of post-launch pennies.

So, is it too early to nag for a Red Dead Redemption 3 teaser?

Well – yes. Yes, it is. But, that shouldn't stop Rockstar fans from dreaming about further adventures deep within the desert. There's certainly more on the decks in the minds of many gamers out there, and the setting is just one of the many cards in a whole saloon full of potential. (That's enough of the dire puns, I swear).

So, if you, like me, are picturing another round as an infamous outlaw, then tap this play button and settle in for a story premise that'll knock your socks off, cowpoke.

And yes, we're going down this road again. Sorry.

Hold your tears, fellers. I know, it's been two years, but we're still getting over the *SPOILER* loss of Arthur Morgan and his noble steed. I mean, can anybody really blame us? After all, we spent as many as fifty hours at a bare minimum playing as our favourite outlaw (sorry, John). That's fifty-plus hours scouring the desert on a cat and mouse tale between outlaws and authorities. And, you know, even after all those logged hours – we still didn't want to see the departure of the gang.

They say you grow with characters, and after several hours spent immersed in another world, those virtual blotches become as real as you or me. And, for Red Dead Redemption 2, Dutch and his gang became almost like a second family encased within our gaming consoles. They evolved into more than just a few NPC's on a screen. They became entwined with sincere emotions and unique characteristics that, even after shutting down the game, you still remembered for all the right reasons.

So, with that, we urge the question:

Would another prequel be too much to ask for?

Now, before you say it – I know. I understand that since the closing chapter of Red Dead Redemption 2, Dutch disappeared into the mountains, Arthur watched the sunrise before caving in to his wounds and disease, and the remainder of the gang dispersed across the country. So, of course, a follow up from Red Dead Redemption 2 wouldn't make a great amount of sense.

But, say we take it even further back, to the very infancy of Dutch's gang. Now, would that be a premise worth sinking into? Would it be worth Rockstar taking the time to develop another lengthy campaign with Arthur manning the helm once more? Because, honestly – I don't think any of us were quite ready to say goodbye to our new favourite gunslinger.

So, what could a deeper prequel look like in Red Dead Redemption 3? Where would the game be set?

In the mid-1870s, Dutch van der Linde stumbled across Hosea Matthews, and in turn, formed a rather outlandish alliance where both parties idolized the Robin Hood way of living (to steal from the rich and give to the poor). This alliance between Dutch and Hosea continued for two years, until our boy, Arthur Morgan, was found and taken under their wing. From this, Dutch's Boys were formed, and over the course of several years, only seemed to grow wider and more ambitious.

Now, to me, those long and fruitful twenty plus years leading up to the events of Red Dead Redemption 2 seem almost like an untapped territory with far more to explore. And, as Arthur Morgan was only a young boy (fourteen, to be exact) when Dutch and Hosea encountered him in 1877, there seems to be a whole ocean of possibilities in terms of developing Arthur's backstory.

Throughout the course of our Red Dead Redemption 2 playthrough, we were blessed with hearing countless stories about "the old days" and how Dutch and the gang were once at the very pinnacle of outlaw antics. But, we were never quite able to witness those golden years for ourselves. Instead, we watched the curtain call for the gang, and even after the standing ovation – still only wished to see the infant years.

So, is it possible that Red Dead Redemption 3 could take place in Arthur's teenage years as Dutch's Boys become the outlaw kingpins that we eventually see in the second chapter? Could there be an even bulkier campaign that pans through nearly two decades of robbing, murdering and evading? Well, that's something Rockstar will have to look into, of course.

Whatever the outcome – players will more than merrily saddle up for a third chapter in the open-world Western phenomenon. The question is, however – are Rockstar prepared to build it?